


Anything For You

by dojaefairy



Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 22:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20316700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dojaefairy/pseuds/dojaefairy
Summary: Minhyun has a huge crush on his adorable neighbor and always finds an excuse to visit him – that is, until Jisung adopts a cute dog, Minhyun’s natural enemy who causes him awful allergies. Will Minhyun’s love story succeed?





	Anything For You

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 81 of the Golden Promise Fic Fest! I had lots of fun with it and hope that the prompter is satisfied with it <3 Have fun reading!!

Minhyun had always been one to have quick infatuations. Growing up, he felt like he didn't have many crushes – as opposed to his childhood friend Minki who seemed, from their earliest years at kindergarten, to attract anyone and everyone and always had at least three girlfriends at the same time – but when he did crush on someone, it was very intense right away.

He'd start reviewing all of his interactions with his crush, get hot and cold at the thought of them, and most of the time, he ended up rejected. After yet another rejection from a guy he had really liked in university, Minhyun decided to teach himself not to have crushes anymore. The hope and the jelly sensation in his bones wasn't worth all the hurt that came with the “you're really nice (or worse, I like you too) but I'm not interested”.

Twenty four year-old Hwang Minhyun decided that love wasn't for him, thank you very much. And if that meant he'd remain a Transformers fanboy and that he would always third-wheel his friends, then so be it.

He was done.

What twenty four year-old Hwang Minhyun had not seen coming was that love, fate, destiny, whatever you call it, often has other plans for stubborn people like him who try and swear their way out of Cupid's path.

He reached twenty six years of age with no crush in sight, and constantly praised himself for staying single. Around him, couples would get together, split up, make up, get back together, part ways for good, and more than once, he had been there to help his friends get better after a heartbreak. He knew love came and left easily, it was only natural, but he felt afraid at the though of getting invested with someone if an awful heartbreak awaited them both at the end of a relationship. However, some couples were also really happy and sometimes had him thinking love had good sides to it.

Among his closest friends, Minki was still going from relationship to relationship, but Aron had recently gotten engaged to his girlfriend of four years, and very surprisingly to their little group, Jonghyun and Dongho had gotten together at the end of university. They were still a couple and even now living together, both working in different companies, but that weren't too far from each other and allowed them to have an apartment in between. Aron possibly had plans to live in the US, seeing as his girlfriend was also Korean-American, but that was still being discussed. Minhyun knew he would miss Aron terribly if he were to live abroad, as they were really close. Thankfully, it wasn't like they would lose contact altogether, with Internet and such.

Anyhow, Minhyun's life was peaceful as it was. No crush, no pets, no family issues, he just lived his life the best he could. His job was average, but he had recently been told he could get promoted given he was hard-working and helped his company increase its benefits, so he had something to look forward to. He was thinking of saving to go on holidays, maybe abroad, and as nice as it sounded, he was a little bummed at the thought of going on his own. He was still thinking about it, but maybe he'd ask a friend, once his plans would be more defined.

That all changed the moment Yoon Jisung moved into the apartment next to his.

* * *

It was a Saturday morning, and Minhyun was just coming back from grocery shopping. He was planning to spend the weekend at home, probably watching movies and catching up on some dramas, and had thus bought enough food to last the weekend and more. Minhyun enjoyed sleeping in a little, but he was an early riser by nature, and sleeping fifteen hours per day did not appeal to him at all. Plus, it was better to get stuff done in the morning: he had cleaned his apartment before shopping, and now, it was almost noon, meaning all he had to do was cook lunch and enjoy it in front of a movie.

He was thinking about which movie he'd pick when he heard loud chattering at his floor. There were only two apartments at that floor, his, and the one next to it, which had been empty for months – or maybe a whole year? Minhyun didn't even remember what his previous neighbor was like. He guessed someone was moving in, and was proven right as he climbed the last flight of stairs leading to his floor, the third one.

Indeed, the door of the previously empty apartment was wide open, and there were loud male voices inside. Minhyun was curious but held back from peeking inside. He unlocked his own door, quickly stored the food he had bought between his fridge and his cupboards, and walked out of his apartment. He left his door half open, ready to go back in as soon as he would've greeted his new neighbor. He hadn't been raised a savage, and he was even thinking that he should probably offer his help out of politeness.

The men were still talking loudly, and their voices were coming closer. Finally, three men exited the apartment, and Minhyun greeted them.

“Hello,” he said, loud enough for them to hear.

All three jumped a little in surprise, and the smaller one immediately smiled and bowed.

“You must be my neighbor, right? I'm new here, my name is Yoon Jisung!”

Minhyun smiled back and shook his hand.

“I'm Hwang Minhyun, it's nice to meet you.”

“Here are Daniel and Seongwoo, my friends who are helping me move in today. I hope we didn't bother you too much so far?” Jisung said, biting his lower lip in what seemed to be a nervous gesture.

“Nice to meet you,” Minhyun said first, shaking Daniel and Seongwoo's hands, “and you're fine, I just came back from the store. If there's anything you want to know about the neighborhood, or if you need anything, please don't hesitate. I know moving is tough.”

Jisung beamed at him, and nodded. Daniel and Seongwoo went down the staircase, presumably to get more boxes or whatever it was that Jisung was bringing into his new home.

“Thank you for being so nice,” Jisung said, still beaming, “I think I'll be fine with my stuff, but I'll definitely drop by sometime like tonight to give you my number.”

“No problem,” Minhyun smiled, “actually, I bought lots of food earlier, and my WiFi and TV work pretty well, so if you want to have dinner at my place, that'd be fine with me. That way you don't have to stress yourself more on your first day here.”

Jisung giggled and faked wiping invisible tears on his face.

“I can't believe how nice you are,” he said, “you're not planning on luring me in and eating me, are you?”

Minhyun looked at him, genuinely surprised but also really amused, before laughing.

“I'm definitely not planning on eating you, you look too skinny for that,” Minhyun joked, “however if I invite you enough, maybe you'll gain some fat and that's when things will get more interesting.”

They shared a laughter, and Daniel appeared.

“Jisung, you're still chatting?! You're the one moving in!” Daniel scolded him.

Jisung sent Minhyun a sheepish look.

“I'll get going,” he told him, smiling, “I'll knock on your door sometime around dinner time tonight, then.”

“Good luck with the rest of your stuff,” Minhyun said, nodding, “let me know if there's anything that you suddenly need in the afternoon, I'll be home the whole day.”

“Thank you!”

Jisung's smile was infectious, and Minhyun found himself smiling brightly again. He was closing his door when he heard a slap and a “Jisung, stop flirting!” that came from Daniel. Minhyun locked the door, and coughed, feeling his cheeks redden. Jisung was attractive, there was no doubt about it, but he was pretty sure that they hadn't been flirting just now. Maybe Daniel had just teased Jisung like this because it was a regular banter between them.

That said, what if Jisung was single? His friends Daniel and Seongwoo were really attractive too, but neither of them were moving in with Jisung. Jisung seemed around his age, maybe a little older, meaning if he was moving in an apartment on his own, he was probably single. And that would be why Daniel had joked about them flirting.

You're overthinking, the little voice in Minhyun's head told him, not good. Jisung is just my attractive new neighbor, Minhyun told himself as he washed his hands ahead of preparing lunch, that's all. He'd get to learn more about him tonight.

* * *

The afternoon went by slowly, which Minhyun appreciated. He disliked the sensation of time going too fast. He finished his movie while enjoying some coffee, and found himself dozing off on his couch. He dragged himself to his bed, and took a nap. The noises from the other apartment didn't bother him as he rested, and when he woke up, things were a lot more quieter. He woke up a bit disoriented, so he brushed his teeth and showered. He dropped on his couch wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, and he spent some time on his phone texting his friends. He was playing a game when someone knocked on the door, and he jumped. He had forgotten he had invited Jisung.

He rushed to the door, still half naked, and cracked the door open.

“Errr, hi again,” he greeted in a small voice.

Jisung raised a curious eyebrow at his tone.

“Everything alright? I can come later if you're busy.”

“No you're good I just. I showered and I forgot to get dressed again.”

Admitting it made his cheeks turn pink, and they started overheating when he noticed Jisung also blushing. They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, and Minhyun decided to act.

“It's fine, come in and I'll go get dressed at once.”

“Okay,” Jisung nodded, averting his eyes.

Minhyun opened the door wider, telling himself that it was okay, they were both men, it was nothing Jisung had never seen, but he was kind of worried about what Jisung would think of him. Minhyun closed the door behind Jisung and invited him to sit on his couch. Jisung sat, and when he made eye contact with Minhyun after briefly looking at his chest, he immediately looked away.

“I'll. Yeah. Be right back.”

Minhyun rushed to his room and put on clothes at lightspeed, then came back in his living room. It was time for him to fix whatever weird first impression he had given Jisung.

“Is there anything you'd like to eat?” Minhyun asked, heading to his kitchen.

“I'm fine with anything you'll offer me, I don't have any allergies or food restrictions,” Jisung answered, trailing after him.

Minhyun nodded to himself.

“How do you feel about some kimchi jjigae then?”

“Perfect,” Jisung grinned, “I can help you prepare it, I'm pretty good at cooking.”

Minhyun accepted his neighbor's offer, and they prepared the ingredients. Minhyun couldn't help but notice how domestic they must have been looking from an outsider's point of view, each wearing an apron and cooking together. While Jisung took care of the stew, Minhyun cleaned up the kitchen and the table, and felt a little warm seeing Jisung look like he belonged here, in his kitchen making dinner.

“Open up, tell me if it's spicy enough,” Jisung said, holding a spoon towards Minhyun.

Minhyun obeyed, and swallowed the mouthful of stew. He clicked his tongue, appreciating the burning of the spices on his tastebuds, and gave Jisung a little nod.

“It tastes perfect,” Minhyun said, and Jisung smiled before tasting it too.

Minhyun watched a little too closely as Jisung licked the spoon clean. He was a bit confused with everything he was currently feeling, to be perfectly honest.

The food was soon ready, and they sat around the table, a full bowl in front of them. They made small talk as they ate, which was the right occasion to get to know each other. Minhyun learned that Jisung was four years older than he was, meaning he was currently thirty years-old. He was not from Seoul, similarly to Minhyun who was from Busan, but from Gwangwon-do, and the reason he was now at the capital city was for work purposes.

Jisung also had a regular office job, and they chatted quite a bit about the similar work conditions they shared. The conversation comfortably moved on to more personal topics, and Minhyun laughed as he learned Jisung disliked carrots, loved animals and thus loved going to zoos. They found a common liking for singing, and Jisung sighed when admitting that when he was younger, he wanted to become an actor or a singer. Minhyun nodded understandingly, having had the same dreams as a teenager.

Dinner was over by then, and Minhyun got up to wash the dishes. Jisung insisted to help, but Minhyun told him he had done enough by helping him cook, and that he should rather rest after moving in. Jisung pouted, which made Minhyun's heart skip a beat, but he gave in.

It didn't take long for Minhyun to get done, and they soon found themselves sitting together on the couch. Minhyun turned on his TV, and they found a drama they both liked. Minhyun made them hot tea as the episode started, and also offered a blanket to Jisung, who happily accepted it.

By the time Minhyun came back with two full mugs of green tea, Jisung was bundled up in the blanket and already invested in the plot. Minhyun was careful when sitting next to him, and put the two mugs on the coffee table in front of his couch. Jisung turned to thank him with a bright smile, and Minhyun reciprocated with a grin. He also covered himself with a blanket, and sighed happily.

As the episode was playing, Minhyun kept stealing glances at Jisung; he was really invested in the romance plot going on, and it was adorable to see him with heart-filled eyes whenever the main characters would interact and flirt.

Jisung was really nice, talkative and passionate, and so very handsome. It was a deadly combination for Minhyun, who didn't know what to do with the warmth in his stomach which only intensified whenever Jisung smiled, commented on the drama or laughed.

When the episode ended, Jisung stretched his arms above his head.

“Thank you so much for having me over, you ended my day in the best way possible.”

“You're welcome,” Minhyun giggled, “it's better to get introduced early.”

“It is,” Jisung nodded, “hold on, I think I didn't give you my number” he suddenly exclaimed.

He got up to fetch his phone from the table where he had put it earlier. Minhyun also got his, and he opened the contacts app and chose the “add a new contact” option. Jisung typed in his number, and Minhyun sent him a message through KakaoTalk. Jisung's phone went “KaTalk!” in the familiar sound notification, and he added Minhyun to his contact list as well.

“I'll give you my WiFi password,” Minhyun said, “I assume you don't have WiFi yet?”

“I don't,” Jisung shook his head, “thank you so much, I promise I'll make it up to you once I'm done moving in.”

“You're fine,” Minhyun grinned.

Jisung handed him his phone, and Minhyun opened the notes app so as to type his WiFi password. He saved the note, and gave his phone back to Jisung. Jisung pocketed his phone, and they looked at each other, smiling.

“I’ll get going,” Jisung said, “thank you again for everything.”

“Let’s meet again soon,” Minhyun grinned, “good night, Jisung.”

“Good night!”

Minhyun walked Jisung to the door, and they waved at each other once more before Jisung left for his apartment. Minhyun locked his door, and sighed.

“I’m not falling in love,” he said, aloud.

No one answered, but he blushed nevertheless.

“I’m not falling in love,” he repeated as he was laying on his bed, trying to fall asleep while not thinking about his neighbor’s cute face.

* * *

“You’re totally falling in love,” were Minki’s first, sharp words when Minhyun finished explaining how meeting his new neighbor went.

Aron raised an eyebrow.

“They spent the night together cooking and watching a drama, where exactly did you see the love?”

“It’s obvious,” Minki rolled his eyes as if he was the only getting it, “it’s all very domestic, you don’t do that with just anyone, y’know?”

Aron sighed, and Minhyun played with his fingers, obviously a little stressed. Dongho laughed and patted Minhyun’s shoulders.

“Just be yourself and it’ll be fine,” he said, smiling, “and you’ll see how things go.”

“He can’t just be himself, though,” Minki interjected, “or he’ll never get laid. When was the last time you had a boyfriend?” he asked Minhyun, frowning.

Minhyun was unable to come up with an answer, which made Minki go “ah!”

“You see? You gotta step up your game,” he said, nodding to himself.

“Minki, stop acting like a love guru,” Jonghyun chuckled, “maybe Minhyun doesn’t want to date his new neighbor, right Minhyun?”

All four of his friends turned to him, and Minhyun gulped down. His cheeks became red, and he scratched his head.

“I mean, I don’t know,” he said, his voice going higher, “he’s really, really cute, but I told myself I shouldn’t date anymore, so-”

Minki rolled his eyes once more.

“Telling yourself to give up on dating because it didn’t work out with a few people was a foolish decision. You’re sweet and very good-looking, you’re bound to find someone who’ll love you. And maybe it could be that guy!”

Minhyun looked down, staring at his sweet iced coffee. He played with the straw, mixing the melting ice with the coffee, before speaking up again.

“I guess I could try again… but I don’t want it to hurt.”

“Aw, look at you, big baby,” Minki cooed, “you’ll be fine. And if anything, you got us,” he added.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was sitting next to Minhyun, Minki hugged him tightly. Dongho, on Minhyun’s other side, mimicked his actions, while Aron and Jonghyun shared a laughter.

“Minki, please do tell me that by “you got us”, you’re not implying that you can ask Dongho to scare people,” Jonghyun said, sending a judgmental look at his best friend, “again,” he added, and Minki pretended not to hear him.

“He did what?” Aron said, choking on his coffee.

“Oh, right, you weren’t here when it happened,” Minhyun said, scratching his chin, “Minki had a bad break up with a guy and the guy kept bothering him so he asked Dongho to play the role of a scary bodyguard.”

“What kind of drama life are you even living...” Aron face-palmed, “and you, how did you get roped into doing this?” he asked Dongho, who smiled sheepishly.

“I had nothing else to do on that night and it seemed fun.”

Jonghyun sighed, and Minki clapped his hands.

“Anyway, back to Minhyun! You have to keep us updated on your blooming love life with your neighbor!”

Dongho nodded, soon imitated by Jonghyun who intertwined their fingers. Dongho smiled at him brightly, and Jonghyun sent him a flying kiss.

“I will, but I’m not even sure he’s into men or into me,” Minhyun said, eyebrows dropping.

“It’s just the beginning,” Aron said, “it’s the right time to find out!”

“You can do it, Minhyunnie,” Jonghyun smiled.

Minhyun sighed, but couldn’t help a soft smile spread on his face from all the encouragements from his best friends.

“Let’s have a fight to see who gets to be best man at their wedding when they’ll be together,” Minki suggested, always one to create chaos.

This led the conversation to get more heated and Minhyun was soon laughing until he cried. His best friends really were irreplaceable.

* * *

Despite telling himself not to stress over things with Jisung, Minhyun couldn’t help but overthink a lot. The overthinking would often happen as he went to bed: as he lay on his mattress under his warm blanket, minding his own business, his mind would wander places, and come up with all sorts of scenarios involving Jisung. At first, those were harmless, what-if situations, but they soon escalated to him fantasizing about them dating, sharing sweet kisses while watching a drama or while sharing his bed, and that was when he knew he was in too deep.

He decided that he should test out his feelings for Jisung. He needed to be sure whether this was just an infatuation that could go away easily or by a neat rejection, or whether this was a relationship worth involving himself into. In order to do that, what he needed to do was clear: he had to see Jisung more, and see for himself whether his heart would still beat messily in his chest, like when he imagined Jisung with him.

This is how Minhyun found himself knocking on Jisung’s door on a Saturday afternoon. He was switching his weight from one leg to another, licking his lips repeatedly as if this would help him feel less stressed. Jisung answered the door seconds after his knocking, and Minhyun’s chest got all warm as his neighbor smiled brightly.

“Minhyun!” Jisung exclaimed, “it’s nice seeing you! How have you been?”

“I’m good,” Minhyun smiled, nervously, “I, uh, wanted to bake a cake, but I’m out of sugar. Do you have any?”

Jisung nodded, never parting with his smile.

“I do! Come in, I’ll get you some in a container.”

“Sorry for intruding,” Minhyun said quietly as he stepped in Jisung’s apartment.

He kicked off his shoes in the entrance, and followed Jisung. The main room was his kitchen slash living room, similarly to Minhyun’s own place, and Minhyun guessed that the different doors he could see led to the restroom, the bathroom and Jisung’s room.

Jisung’s apartment smelled of flowers and sun, and Minhyun took time to look at the decoration. There were a few pictures of Jisung’s family and friends on a chest of drawers, but besides that, everything was rather simple. He did have a painting on a wall, and a calendar, as well as a few CDs near a hi-fi system, and that was it. Nevertheless, it felt familiar and welcoming.

“You made yourself at home,” Minhyun commented, redirecting his attention on Jisung.

“I did,” his neighbor chuckled, “there’s not much mess around for now, but I’m afraid it’ll happen eventually. I’m trying my best to be a tidy person, but living on your own sometimes has that effect, you know? You don’t need to keep things clean and tidy except for yourself, so you tend to let yourself be lazy.”

Minhyun smiled.

“My friends have always called me a clean freak, so I can’t relate entirely, but I think I understand.”

“If I pay you, would you come and tidy my apartment?” Jisung teased as he was busy pouring the sugar in a container.

“You wouldn’t have to pay me,” Minhyun answered earnestly, and Jisung laughed out loud.

“I was just kidding,” he said, waving a hand as if telling Minhyun to forget it.

Minhyun stared at his back as he put a lid on the glass container, and handed it to Minhyun.

“Was there anything else you needed, Minhyun?” Jisung asked, smiling.

Minhyun almost blurted “you”, but held back at the last minute. He thought hard about the excuse he could give Jisung, but couldn’t find any. Jisung tilted his head in confusion, for Minhyun still hadn’t answered his question and had just been staring in the distance.

“Minhyun?”

“Oh, sorry,” Minhyun shook his head, “er, yeah, uh, would you like to come over for dinner?”

Jisung grinned.

“You’re lucky I’m free tonight! What time do you want me to come? Should I bring anything? Do you like ice cream? Because I just got vanilla-strawberry-chocolate ice cream and it’s one of the most delicious things you’ll ever have in your life-”

Jisung interrupted himself, seeming realizing he had been ranting.

“Sorry, you can really tell I live alone, I talk too much whenever I’m asked anything.”

“It’s completely fine,” Minhyun beamed at him, “come around 7, and yes to ice cream, please.”

“Will do,” Jisung beamed back, “good luck with baking your cake!”

“Cake?” Minhyun wondered aloud, and Jisung sighed at him, amused.

“Isn’t that why you came here?” he teased, “to borrow sugar because you were baking a cake?”

“Oh, right,” Minhyun nodded, not believing he had almost blown his cover, “yes.”

“I’ll see you tonight, then,” Jisung said as Minhyun was going home.

“Yes!” Minhyun said, before letting out a happy noise once the door had closed behind his back. He was seeing Jisung again tonight.

* * *

Dinner was just as fun to prepare as the first time, and they got to learn more about each other this time again. Minhyun wasn’t sure how to mention or imply that he was homosexual <strike>(and potentially interested in Jisung)</strike>, but Jisung took the first step as they were talking about relationships and he mentioned ex-boyfriends. Minhyun buried the sudden jealousy that was eating him and forced himself to keep a neutral expression.

“My most recent ex-boyfriend was kind of an asshole, when I think about it,” Jisung said between two bites of ice cream, “it’s a good thing we broke up. I don’t know why he tried to remain friends after our break-up, though, but I totally told him to get lost.”

Minhyun forced a laughter.

“You did well.”

“Right?” Jisung said, the thought of his ex making him offended, “sometimes you manage to remain friends but in almost all of the cases, it’s not worth it. See, Daniel and Seongwu, my friends you saw when I moved in, they used to be a couple, but they broke up and stayed on friendly terms.”

“Oh, really?” Minhyun was surprised.

“Yeah, they broke up years ago, now they’re with different people. Daniel is dating another one of our friends, a guy who’s a guitarist in a band, and Seongwu got himself a girlfriend at his work.”

“I see,” Minhyun said, “and what about you? Are you dating anyone at the moment?”

“I’m not,” Jisung said, shaking his head, “it’s been a while since I last dated, and I’m not sure I’ll get to do it again. I’m getting old, you know?”

It was Minhyun’s turn to shake his head.

“In what world is being thirty old? You’re still young, and you’re very handsome and sweet, I’m sure there’s lots of people who’d love to date you.”

Jisung faked crying at Minhyun’s words.

“Who paid you to be this nice to me?”

Minhyun smiled at Jisung’s antics.

“And you?” Jisung said, leaning on his elbows, “is there anyone you’re interested in?”

Minhyun couldn’t help but blush, which did not go unnoticed by Jisung.

“Oh?” he said, teasing.

“There might be someone,” Minhyun said, all red in the face now.

“Oh my,” Jisung exclaimed, “tell me! Who is it? What is he like?”

“I’m not telling you who,” Minhyun said, “but I can tell you what he’s like.”

Jisung beamed.

“He’s really handsome,” Minhyun started, clearing his throat before continuing, “he’s older than I am and he’s incredibly sweet, just like a creampuff.”

“Oooh!” Jisung clapped his hands, excited, “you’re blushing so hard, you really have a sweet spot for him, don’t you?”

Minhyun ducked his head, shyly.

“I’m not sure how I truly feel about him, but he makes butterflies appear in my stomach when I think of him. I’d like to know more about him, and find out whether he feels the same about me.”

Jisung nodded, and tilted his head, sighing in happiness.

“Ah, young love,” he said, making Minhyun snort, “I hope he returns your feelings!”

“I hope so too,” Minhyun said, meeting Jisung’s eyes.

Jisung smiled at him warmly.

They ended on Minhyun’s couch with tea and a drama again, and Jisung even fell asleep on Minhyun’s shoulder around the end of their episode. Minhyun turned off the TV with the remote, and took advantage of Jisung sleeping to stare at him and enjoy his presence by his side. As much as he would’ve liked to just put a pillow under Jisung’s neck and a blanket over his body and let him sleep on his couch, he guessed they weren’t close enough for that. So after a few minutes, he gently shook Jisung awake. Jisung apologized profusely for falling asleep on him, which Minhyun dismissed.

“It’s fine,” Minhyun insisted, grinning, “go get some sleep now, though.”

“Will do,” Jisung said, yawning, “night Minhyunnie.”

“Good night,” Minhyun said before watching him go, fondly.

That night, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

Because he wasn’t sure whether he had been too subtle with his growing feelings for Jisung the last time they had had dinner together and discussed, Minhyun decided to take the initiative once more. The perfect opportunity arose as the fuse of a light bulb pretty much exploded in his face one morning as he was turning on the lights of his kitchen. After blinking a few times to let the light leave his tired eyes, he swore and lamented about it.

He went to work nevertheless, but once he came home, he was still pouting about having to change it. That was when he was struck with a genius idea: he could ask Jisung to help him change the blown light bulb. He made sure he had an extra light bulb before going to knock on Jisung’s door. Jisung had visibly come home from work too and he had showered: his hair was still wet, and he was wearing comfortable clothes.

“Hi Minhyun,” he greeted.

“Hi,” Minhyun beamed, “I’d need your help with a blown light bulb, please,” he pleaded, fluttering his eyelashes at a dumbfounded Jisung.

“How can I even help you with that?” Jisung asked, confused, “you’re taller than I am, I’m sure you can reach it? If anything, you can step on a chair to get leverage?”

Seeing that his plan had a certain number of flaws he hadn’t taken into account, Minhyun started panicking. He needed a backup excuse, and quick.

“Uh, you see, I’m afraid of light bulbs.”

Jisung blinked, confused, and frowned.

“You’re what?”

He sounded quite judgmental, and Minhyun panicked even more.

“No, err, actually, despite being tall, I actually have a fear of heights!! And even stepping on chairs is scary to me. So, that’s why, uh, I need your help.”

Jisung stared at him, visibly wondering whether Minhyun was feeling okay or not, but he gave in and slowly nodded.

“Okay, I’ll come then...”

Once in the kitchen, Minhyun realized how stupid he must be looking in Jisung’s eyes, for the blown light bulb was indeed within reach if he tip-toed, or even stepped on a chair. But he had gone this far looking like a fool, so he might as well keep being one. Jisung was too short to reach for the light bulb, though, and he carefully stepped on one of Minhyun’s kitchen chairs. He fixed the issue in seconds, and asked that Minhyun turned off the light to check whether it worked or not. It did, and Minhyun smiled at him. Jisung smiled back, and was about to step down when Minhyun exclaimed “wait!”. Jisung froze mid-air, almost losing his balance.

“What is it now?” he asked, surprised.

“Let me help you get down,” Minhyun said, rushing closer, “here, put your hands on my shoulders.”

Jisung did so with hesitation, and Minhyun held on his hips as he went down.

“Thank you,” Minhyun looked at him adoringly, hands still on his hips, and Jisung coughed.

“I did nothing,” he said, and Minhyun inwardly gasped seeing that Jisung’s cheeks were turning pink.

That was when he noticed Jisung was still holding on his shoulders, and that their bodies were flushed together. They stared at each other, and similarly to a romance drama, time seemed to stop.

“I should go now,” Jisung stuttered.

“Ah, yes,” Minhyun reacted, “sorry and thank you for your help,” he added.

“Don’t mention it,” Jisung said before rushing back home.

“Did I make things awkward...” Minhyun wondered aloud, sighing.

Being in love was so difficult.

* * *

They kept meeting from time to time, often having dinner at the other’s apartment. They started going out together, sometimes shopping or to the movies. They were very comfortable with each other at this point, and Minhyun was absolutely smitten with Jisung. He hadn’t confessed yet, though, waiting for the good moment. He knew he tended to be too straight-forward and honest, even in relationships, and he wanted to make this perfect.

He had prepared his confession speech, and was gathering strength to ask Jisung out when his whole world came crashing down.

“What did you say his name was?” Minhyun asked, eyes wide open following the fluffy cotton ball that was running around in Jisung’s apartment.

“His name is Jin,” Jisung beamed, “isn’t it an adorable name for an adorable dog? My sister contacted from, saying that the shelter near our home had just gotten him, and she adopted him on my behalf. She came earlier this week to drop the little guy, and he and I have been living together ever since.”

Minhyun gulped down as Jin came closer to him, and he took a step back. Jisung didn’t notice his uncomfortable expression, and merely called for Jin before picking him in his arms.

“Do you want to pet him?” he beamed, holding Jin towards Minhyun.

Minhyun could tell tears were welling up in his eyes, and he blinked them away.

“No, thanks,” he answered, and Jisung looked at him like he was crazy.

“But he’s so cute,” he said, pouting sadly, and Minhyun hated that the dog’s expression seemed to mirror that of his owner. “How are we even friends if you hate what’s cute?”

Minhyun suddenly sneezed, three times, and both Jisung and Jin jumped.

“I’m allergic to dogs,” Minhyun finally said, eyes rimmed with red, “like, allergic-allergic.”

Jisung gasped.

“Oh no,” he said.

Minhyun wiped his eyes, and couldn’t take it anymore. He really had to go to his apartment and get his allergy treatment.

“Sorry, I’ll go home now,” he quickly apologized before rushing to his place.

When he got out of the bathroom, he saw that he had received a message from Jisung. He checked it, and smiled.

“I’m so sorry for earlier, I didn’t know you had such a bad allergy to dogs :( I promise to be careful when meeting you with or without Jin!! I hope you were able to get your allergy treatment T T”

Maybe everything wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Except that it was. Minhyun couldn’t go to Jisung’s apartment anymore, and even when Jisung came over – without Jin, obviously – Minhyun’s allergy would still act up. Jisung felt infinitely bad, and Minhyun felt worse that his stupid allergy was ruining things between them. More than petting Jin, Minhyun wanted to be able to touch Jisung, and connect over his bond with his adorable pet. Instead, every time Jisung came over, he’d keep sniffling and end up with a bad allergic headache. He could tell Jisung was feeling as sorry about this issue as he was, but neither had solutions. It was frustrating, and Minhyun once cried about it, fearing that might be the end of their relationship before it even started, because of a stupid, mere allergy.

Tonight, he was feeling miserable while eating ice cream directly from the container, where there was a knock on his door. Already knowing who it was, he put down the ice cream container on his coffee table, and got up to unlock his door.

“Hi,” he greeted Jisung, tiredly.

“Hey,” Jisung answered, smiling timidly, “can I come in?”

Minhyun looked behind his shoulder, and sighed: his place was a mess, and the ice cream sitting on the table, melting, was the cherry on top.

“I guess,” he said, “sorry for the mess,” he muttered.

Jisung closed the door behind him, and sat down next to Minhyun to the couch.

“Do you want, uh, ice cream?” Minhyun asked, lamentably.

Jisung nodded, and Minhyun realized he had been eating it directly with a spoon. He was about to apologize once more, but Jisung told him it was fine. They soon ate their ice cream in silence, until Jisung spoke up.

“I actually have something to tell you,” Jisung admitted, playing with his spoon.

Minhyun perked up, curious.

“I, um. Kind of really like you?” Jisung said, shifting uncomfortably and not daring to meet Minhyun’s widening eyes. “I don’t know whether this comes as a surprise or not because we’ve been getting closer and I think you’ve had the same feelings I’ve had since the beginning, but I wanted you to know, especially since the past few weeks have been a bit rough because of me getting a dog resulting in your allergies acting up...”

Jisung coughed, and turned to Minhyun.

“So, I want to officially ask you out. Wi-will you be my boyfriend?”

Minhyun was still gaping, and Jisung looked down. Knowing he had to act now before ruining everything he had dreamt of, Minhyun moved forward and hugged Jisung tightly.

“I love you too!” Minhyun exclaimed, “yes, I definitely want to be your boyfriend!”

Jisung blinked, and smiled brightly. He hugged Minhyun back, and they looked at each other. Minhyun giggled before leaning down and kissing Jisung with all he had. Jisung answered the kiss with as much passion, and they broke away, all happy.

This time, Jisung made himself comfortable on Minhyun’s lap, and Minhyun cuddled him, feeling in heaven.

“What if you die?!” Jisung suddenly gasped, and Minhyun looked down at his boyfriend, confused as to why he would suddenly drop dead.

“Why?!”

“Because I just kissed you,” Jisung whined.

Minhyun was still confused.

“And? Do you kiss your dog? Because unless you did that before coming here, I don’t see why I’d die...”

The sheepish look on Jisung’s face made Minhyun’s heart drop in his stomach.

“You didn’t,” he said.

“I have to kiss him goodbye so he won’t feel lonely,” Jisung exclaimed, looking down and playing with his fingers.

Minhyun immediately got up to wash his face, almost making Jisung fall on the floor.

“Sorry,” Jisung apologized cutely, poking his head in the bathroom as Minhyun was checking his reflection after washing his face repeatedly. “I’ll be careful next time.”

Minhyun fake glared at him, but soon felt overwhelmed by all the love and affection he was feeling for his new boyfriend.

“It’s okay for this time, but wash up before you kiss me again,” he said.

Jisung did so thoroughly, and this time, after storing the ice cream back in the fridge, they actually went to cuddle on Minhyun’s bed.

“I can’t stay the night,” Jisung whispered against Minhyun’s lips as they were making out.

“It’s fine,” Minhyun whispered back, “you can stay over another time,” he added, tasting Jisung’s tongue again.

“Will do,” Jisung promised, “love you,” he said, circling his arms around Minhyun’s neck to bring him closer for another kiss.

“Love you more,” Minhyun answered.

Nothing could get in his path to true love anymore, and certainly not dog fur.


End file.
